Municipal Face Covering Bylaw re-activated

Province-wide face covering requirement continues to be in effect

On Wednesday, March 24, Alberta Health Services reported 52 active COVID-19 cases in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB). With cases above 50, the Municipal Face Covering Bylaw has been re-activated for a minimum of 30 days.

Province-wide face covering requirement

The Government of Alberta’s province-wide face covering requirement continues to be in effect. This means face coverings are mandatory in the following areas:

• All indoor public places
• All Places of worship
• All indoor workplaces
• K-12 schools when required
• When you might come within 2 metres of people from outside your household

Some exemptions do apply to the Province's face covering requirement. Review the latest Public Health Order (CMHO 02-2021) or visit alberta.ca/masks for more information on exemptions.

Differences between province-wide requirement and Municipal Bylaw

Since the province-wide face covering requirement was implemented, the Municipal Face Covering Bylaw and the provincial requirement have been in effect at the same time. When in effect at the same, the provincial requirement supersedes the Municipal Bylaw on most matters.

There are some key differences between the provincial requirement and the Municipal Bylaw:

• Age: The provincial order requires children 2 and over to wear a face covering. The Municipal Bylaw required children 5 and over to wear a face covering.
• Places of worship: The provincial order requires face coverings in all places of worship. The Municipal Bylaw exempted face coverings in places of worship.
• When eating and drinking: The provincial order allows face coverings to be removed when eating and drinking. The Municipal Bylaw allows face coverings to be removed only when eating and drinking in a designated seating area.

Face Coverings Required on Public Transit

Face coverings continue to be mandatory on public transit regardless of the number of active cases of COVID-19 in the region.

Stay up-to-date with information on the status of the Municipal Face Covering Bylaw at rmwb.ca/facecovering or by calling Pulse at 780-743-7000 or toll-free at 1-800-973-9663.